1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stencil printing machine and a stencil printing method for perforating and printing by using stencil sheet. Particularly, the present invention relates to a stencil printing machine and a stencil printing method capable of providing excellent printed image even in printing a large number of sheets.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an outline constitution of a stencil printing machine.
As shown by FIG. 10, a stencil printing machine 50 is generally constituted by an operation panel section 51 having operation keys and a display, an image reading section 52 such as an image scanner, a control section (CPU) 53, an image processing section 54, an image perforating section 55 for thermally perforating original document image to stencil sheet and a printing section 56 for printing by using stencil sheet formed with perforated image.
According to the stencil printing machine 50, there is carried out a control of operation of perforating and printing stencil sheet based on instruction of the control section 53 based on operation input from the operation panel section 51.
Further explaining, according to the stencil printing machine 50, when there is an input instructing start of stencil making operation from the operation panel section 51 provided at the main body, the image reading section 52 reads an image of a set original document. In parallel with the operation of reading the original document, the original document image is subjected to a processing of converting the original document image into binary data (perforating data) which is used for perforating by the image processing section 54. Further, based on the perforating data subjected to the conversion processing, the image perforating section 55 thermally perforates stencil sheet. Further, the perforated stencil sheet is mounted to a printing drum. Further, when there is an input instructing start of printing operation from the operation panel section 51, printing operation of a number of sheets set and inputted from the operation panel section 51 is carried out at the printing section 56.
Further, as other constitution, there is known a stencil printing system, wherein a data editing apparatus such as a personal computer is connected to a stencil printing machine via an interface apparatus (data developing apparatus). According to the stencil printing system, image data from the data editing apparatus such as a personal computer is subjected to a processing of converting the image data into binary data (perforating data) which is used for perforating by the data developing apparatus and stencil sheet is thermally perforated based on perforating data of one edition subjected to the conversion processing and transferred.
According to such a stencil printing machine or stencil printing system, a large number of sheets of printing can be carried out in a short period of time and at high speed by rotating the printing drum at high speed.
Meanwhile, most of stencil sheet used in a stencil printing machine or a stencil printing system of this kind is constituted by pasting together a thermally-sensitive film and a porous supporter and is provided with print resistance function to some degree. However, there is a limit in a number of sheets which can be printed in one operation.
Therefore, when there is carried out printing operation of stencil sheet by a durable number of print sheets for each stencil sheet or more, slender lines or horizontal rules perforated on the stencil sheet are cut or paper powder of print sheet is adhered to the stencil sheet. Further, with an increase in a number of sheets of printing, deteriorations of print image caused by paper powder occurs. Further, the stencil sheet is gradually elongated by tension in printing and printed image is also elongated. As a result, image quality of printed image is deteriorated and printed matter having excellent image quality cannot be provided.
Therefore, according to a conventional stencil printing machine or a stencil printing system, when one original document is intended to print by the durable number of print sheets for each stencil sheet or more of stencil sheets, the stencil sheet which has been used is discharged. Further, after carrying out again processings of the same image data (reading processing, processing of developing to perforating data, processing of transferring data), a new one of stencil sheet must be perforated again.
Further explaining, when stencil making operation is carried out by reading original document by an image scanner, the stencil making operation must be carried out again by reading the same original document by the image scanner by one more time.
When the stencil making operation is carried out by transferring image data from a data editing apparatus such as a personal computer, the stencil making operation must be carried out by transferring again the image data by one more time.
Further, when the stencil making operation is carried out again from original document, there is a case in which printed matter the same as that in the first time cannot be provided by a positional shift of original document or an error in reading the original document by an image scanner and there poses a problem of being devoid of reproducibility.
When the stencil making operation is carried out again by image data from a data editing apparatus such as a personal computer, the positional shift in perforating is difficult to cause. However, since image data of the data editing apparatus is again converted into binary data which is used for perforating and transferred, a time period of developing image is extraneously taken, causing loss in operational time period.
Hence, the present invention has been carried out in view of the above-described problem and it is an object thereof to provide a stencil printing machine and a stencil printing method capable of carrying out desired stencil printing by shortening an operational time period without causing a shift in a stencil position by holding data which has been made once and using the held data in stencil making again.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stencil printing machine including:
a conversion processing section (image processing section 2c or data developing apparatus 8) for processing to convert image data into perforating data capable of being perforated to a stencil sheet,
a data holding section 5 for holding the perforating data subjected to the conversion processing as re-perforating data; and
a printing section 3 for perforating the stencil sheet based on the perforating data subjected to the conversion processing and printing a print sheet by using the perforated stencil sheet.
According to the aspect of the present invention, the perforating data subjected to the conversion processing by the conversion processing section 2c or 8 is held in the data holding section 5. Therefore, it is not necessary to carry out again the processing of the image data (reading processing, processing of developing the image data to the perforating data, processing of transferring data).
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the stencil printing machine including:
an image reading section 2a for reading an image of an original document,
an image processing section 2c for processing to convert image data read by the image reading section 2a into the perforating data which is used for perforating to the stencil sheet,
an image perforating section 2b for thermally perforating the stencil sheet in accordance with the image of the perforating data from the image processing section 2c,
a printing section 3 for printing a print sheet by using the stencil sheet perforated by the image perforating section 2b, and
a data holding section 5 for holding the perforating data as re-perforating data in parallel with perforating operation of the stencil sheet by the perforating data.
According to the aspect of the present invention, even when the stencil sheet is perforated by reading the original document by the image reading section 2a, the perforating data is held in the data holding section 5. Therefore, it is not necessary to read again the same original document by the image reading section 2a for re-perforation.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the stencil printing machine including:
a data editing apparatus 7 for editing and outputting image data, a data developing apparatus 8 for developing the image data outputted from the data editing apparatus 7 into the perforating data which is used for perforating the stencil sheet;
an image perforating section 2b for thermally perforating the stencil sheet in accordance with the image of the perforating data developed by the data developing apparatus 8,
a printing section 3 for printing a print sheet by using the stencil sheet perforated by the image perforating section 2b, and
a data holding section 5 for holding the developed perforating data as re-perforating data.
According to the aspect of the present invention, even when the stencil sheet is perforated by transferring the image data from the data editing apparatus such as a personal computer, the perforating data is held in the data holding section 5. Therefore, it is not necessary to transfer again the image data for re-perforation.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the stencil printing machine according to the stencil printing machine of any one of the first through the third aspects, further including,
a control section 4 for perforating the stencil sheet by reading the re-perforating data held in the data holding section 5 by an instruction input of stencil remaking operation from an operation panel section 1 provided at the machine main body.
The stencil remaking operation is reading the re-perforating data from the data holding section 5 and thereafter, thermally perforating a stencil sheet in accordance with the image of the re-perforating data. Further, it may be included winding the perforated stencil sheet around a printing drum after thermally perforating.
According to the aspect of the present invention, the instruction input of the stencil remaking operation is inputted from the operation panel section 1 by an operator. Therefore, the stencil remaking operation can arbitrary be executed during the printing operation. Further, in a stencil printing machine in which the stencil sheet is removed manually from the printing drum, the stencil remaking operation can be carried out at an arbitrary timing after removing the stencil sheet by an operator.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the stencil printing machine according to the stencil printing machine of any one of the first through the third aspects, further including:
a control section 4 for perforating the stencil sheet by the re-perforating data held in the data holding section 5 at every time at which an accumulated number of print sheets reaches a product of a previously set restricted number of sheets A multiplied by an integer n.
According to the aspect of the present invention, the stencil remaking operation can be carried out automatically.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stencil printing method including the steps of processing to convert image data into perforating data which is used for perforating a stencil sheet,
perforating the stencil sheet based on the perforating data subjected to the conversion processing and holding the perforating data subjected to the conversion processing as re-perforating data, and
printing a print sheet by using the perforated stencil sheet.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the stencil printing method according to the stencil printing method of the sixth aspect, wherein the stencil sheet is perforated by the held re-perforating data at every time at which a printing operation is started and an accumulated number of print sheets reaches a product of a previously set restricted number of sheets A multiplied by an integer n.